Mop head attaching assembly



1967 T. w. WINSTEAD ETAL 3,353,202

MOP HEAD ATTACHING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 14, 1965 FIG. g;9

FIGZJ q 1 u I5 0' v mvavrons if moms n. WINSTEAD JOHN H. BEYER ATTOI'P/VEY United States Patent 3,353,202 MOP HEAD ATTACI-HNG ASSEMBLYThomas W. Winstead, Baltimore, and John H. Beyer,

Monkton, Md., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser.No. 495,875 6 Claims. (Cl. 15229) This invention relates to mops andconsists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a mop headattaching assembly for use in connection with conventional mop heads ofthe type comprising a bundle of individual mop strands.

An object of the invention is to provide a mop head attaching assemblywhich may be manufactured entirely of non-corrosive materials and whichis adaptable to most conventional bundle-type mop heads.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this naturewhich is simple, durable and economical in construction and may bereadily manipulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop head securing devicewhich is easy to install and positive in its securing action.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel featuresherein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designatesimilar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the mop head securing band of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the relationship of the variouselements of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the gripping action of thesecuring band and collar; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view showing the collar inthe course of application.

Briefly, the invention comprises a mop handle having an annular,peripheral groove adjacent one end and a resilient mop securing bandadapted to be looped around the central portion of a bundle of mopstrands, with each of its opposite ends partially encircling the mophandle adjacent the groove. The inner surface of each of the handleencircling ends of the band are provided with a series of lugs adaptedto enter the groove, and the upper extremity of each of said endsterminates adjacent said lugs with an outwardly directed, downwardlyinclined shoulder. A securing collar is adapted to coact with theinclined surfaces of these shoulders as it is forced downwardly on themop handle, temporarily deflecting the extremities of the band ends andtheir respective lugs inwardly into the groove with a latch-like action.After the collar has passed the shoulders, the ends of the band snapoutwardly so that the collar underlies the shoulders and is preventedfrom longitudinal displacement.

As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the mop head securing band,generally indicated by the numeral 6, consists of a strip of suitableflexible, non-corrosive material, such as polyethylene, the centralportion of which defines an elongated, relatively narrow, loop formingelement 7. The opposite ends of the element 7 terminate in laterallyenlarged, complementary, handle-embracing components 8 which, as willlater appear, are adapted to be arcuately bent for jointly encircling amop handle.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the handle-embracing components 8 are of lessthickness than the central loopforming portion 7 to facilitate theirarcuate bending 3,353,262 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 when applied to theperiphery of the mop handle. The central loop-forming element 7 is ofsuificient thickness to provide adequate strength when it is loopedaround the bundled strands of a mop head.

The inner surfaces of respective handle embracing components 8 are eachprovided with a row of transversely aligned, protruding lugs 9 adjacenttheir end edges, and, inwardly offset with respect to these lugs, eachcomponent 8 is provided with at least one handle-penetrating tooth 10,preferably terminating in a relatively sharp point, as seen in FIG. 2.The end edges of each of the handle-embracing components 8 terminate inshoulders 11 which project outwardly in a direction opposite to theprotruding lugs 9, and their outer surfaces are inclined as at 11a forthe purpose hereinafter described. Of course, instead of separate lugs,there could be a continuous, raised projection on the inside of eachcomponent 8.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mop handle 12 is provided with anannular, peripheral recess 13, spaced upwardly from its lower end, andslidable on the handle is a collar 14, also preferably formed ofsuitable plastic material.

In the assembly of the device, the securing band 6 is applied to the mophead by partially encircling the central portion of the bundle of mopstrands 15 with the loop-forming element 7, as seen in FIG. 4. Thehandleembracing components 8 of the band are then bent up wardly andaround the periphery of the handle 12 by the use of any suitable tool,so that each of said components forms a substantially arcuate orsemi-cylindrical sheath which partially encircles the handle 12, withthe lugs 9 directed inwardly within the recess 13. It may be noted thatthe radial depth of the recess 13 is sufficiently greater than thecorresponding lengths of the lugs 9 to permit the latter, together withthe adjacent areas of the flexible handle-embracing components 8, to bedeflected inwardly as the collar 14 is forced downwardly on the handle.Thus, as seen in FIG. 5, as the collar 14 descends, its lower edgeengages the inclined surfaces 11a of the shoulders 11 and cams theextremities of the opposite handle-embracing components 8 inwardly inthe groove 13 until the collar 14 has passed the shoulders 11.Thereupon, the resilience of the material of the securing band 6 causesthe extremities of the components 8 to resume their former positions,with the shoulders 11 overlying the upper edge of the collar 14 as seenin full lines in FIG. 4.

Alternatively, the groove 13 could be the same depth or of less depththan the length of the lugs 9, in which event the plastic collar 14would tend to deflect as it passes over the shoulders 11 withoutdeflecting the band ends into the groove.

It will be noted that the spacing of the individual lugs 9 of eachseries and the reduced thickness of the handleembracing components 8facilitate the bending of components 8 to substantially conform to theperipheral contour of the handle 12, so that, after the collar has beenforced into place past the shoulders 11, the assembly is held firmly inperipheral engagement with the handle. In order to clamp the yarnssecurely, it is sometimes desirable for the collar 14 to extend belowthe end of the handle.

In the course of forcing the collar 14 downwardly on the handle, thepointed teeth 10 on the inner faces of components 8 are caused topenetrate the periphery of the handle 12 so that rotary movement of themop head is prevented. These teeth 10 also cooperate with the lugs 9,which are projected into the recess 13 to prevent longitudinaldisplacement of the mop head with respect to the handle 12. Thus, themop head, as well as the securing band, remain non-removably attached tothe end of the handle 12 by the overlying collar 14.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may-be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art without further description, itbeing borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the detailsdisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A mop head securing assembly comprising, in com 'bination, a mophandle having an annular, peripheral recess adjacent one end, anon-removable mop head securing band formed of a strip of resilient,non-corrosive material, the central portion of said band being elongatedand relatively narrow to provide a loop-forming element for encircling abundle of mop strands, said elongated element terminating at oppositeextremities in normally flat, laterally enlarged, resilient,complementary, handleembracing components, each adapted for bending topartially encircle said handle, the ,free end edges of respectivecomponents terminating in laterally extending, outwardly directedshoulders having bases which overhang the adjacent outer surfaces ofsaid components, the

inner faces of said components being provided, with inwardly directedrecess-engaging projections which are arranged parallel with and liesubstantially opposite the bases of respective shoulders, and an annularcollar slidable on' said handle and adapted to be forced downwardly oversaid handle-embracing components and over said shoulders with alatch-like action to underlie said shoulders in engagement with theouter surfaces of said components, retaining said projections in saidgroove.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections are of alength less than the radial depth of said handle recess, said shouldersand free edges of said components being defiectible into'said recess topermit the passage of said collar over said shoulders to underlie thelatter in engagement with the outer surfaces of said components.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the top surfaces of saidshoulders are downwardly and outwardly inclined, whereby the downwardmovement of said collar causes a camming engagement with said inclinedsurfaces, deflecting the adjacent areas of said components, includingsaid projections and shoulders, into said recess to permit clearance bysaid collar.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mop head securinghand is formed of plastic and the thickness of said handle-embracingcomponents is less than that of said elongated loop-forming element tothereby facilitate their conformation to the peripheral contour of saidhandle.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inwardly directedprojections of each handle-embracing component comprise a series of lugsspaced in laterally aligned rows to facilitate bending of saidcomponents.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces ofrespective handle embracing components are provided with sharpenedteeth, adapted to penetrate said handle, under the inward pressure ofsaid collar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,373 2/ 1867 Shaw 15-1511,073,612 9/ 1913 Lockhart 15 -229.0 1,441,455 1/ 1923 Rudall et al.306.40 2,554,643 5/ 1951 Serio 294-312 2,835,914 5/ 1958 Littleton15--229.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 307,871 9/ 1918 Germany. 159,058 12/ 1919 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No,3,353,202 November 21, 1967 Thomas W. Winstead et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

In the heading to the printed specification, lines 4 to 6, for"assignors to E. II du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del acorporation of Delaware" read assignors to Wm. B. Hooper G Sons Co,Baltimore, Md. a corporation of Maryland Signed and sealed this 26th dayof November 1968:,

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. A MOP HEAD SECURING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MOP HANDLEHAVING AN ANNULAR, PERIPHERAL RECESS ADJACENT ONE END, A NON-REMOVABLEMOP HEAD SECURING BAND FORMED OF A STRIP OF RESILIENT, NON-CORROSIVEMATERIAL, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BAND BEING ELONGATED ANDRELATIVELY NARROW TO PROVIDE A LOOP-FORMING ELEMENT FOR ENCIRCLING ABUNDLE OF MOP STRANDS, SAID ELONGATED ELEMENT TERMINATING AT OPPOSITEEXTREMITIES IN NORMALLY FLAT A LATERALLY ENLARGED, RESILIENT,COMPLEMENTARY, HANDLEEMBRACING COMPONENTS, EACH ADAPTED FOR BENDING TOPARTIALLY ENCIRCLE SAID HANDLE, THE FREE END EDGES OF RESPECTIVECOMPONENTS TERMINATING IN LATERALLY EXTENDING, OUTWARDLY DIRECTEDSHOULDERS HAVING BASES WHICH OVERHANG THE ADJACENT OUTER SURFACES OFSAID COMPONENTS, THE INNER FACES OF SAID COMPONENTS BEING PROVIDED, WITHINWARDLY DIRECTED RECESS-ENGAGING PROJECTIONS WHICH ARE ARRANGEDPARALLEL WITH AND LIE SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE BASES OF RESPECTIVESHOULDERS, AND AN ANNULAR COLLAR SLIDABLE ON SAID HANDLE AND ADAPTED TOBE FORCED DOWNWARDLY OVER SAID HANDLE-EMBRACING COMPONENTS AND OVER SAIDSHOULDERS WITH A LATCH-LIKE ACTION TO UNDERLIE SAID SHOULDERS INENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID COMPONENTS, RETAINING SAIDPROJECTIONS IN SAID GROOVE.